Kokoroaru
by Goldwyn
Summary: Nobody can really be as dense as Kasumi is portrayed in TOS. This is a look at how things could have gone if one minor change were effected. Please R/R.


Kokoroaru A Ranma 1/2 Alternaverse by Goldwyn  
  
Disclaimer: All characters/situations depicted herein that are from Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi, I make no claims to. They are the property of Ms. Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz, etc. This is a purely for entertainment fan work, and being such, no profit is being made from it. USING THIS WORK FOR PROFIT IS FORBIDDEN IN ANY WAY. NON-PROFIT DISTRIBUTION OF THIS WORK IS FORBIDDEN IN ANY WAY WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AUTHOR.  
  
"Indicate speech" [Panda sign]  
  
April 4th, 1989  
  
Sometimes I wish I could do more than cook and clean, be more than the surrogate mother that they all expect me to be. Just sometimes I do wish it, but I promised Mother that I would help take care of the family. It was her dying wish after all. How could I not honor it? And yet, there is always this one part of me that wonders if taking care of the family necessitates me giving up everything else and turning a blind eye to the usual Neriman antics. "Kasumi? Could you come to the family room? There's an important matter I must discuss with you and your sisters." Father poked his head around the corner. "Be right there father!" A customary smile crossed my face, and he quickly disappeared, probably to call Nabiki and Akane. I wondered what it was that he had to say. It really had been a long while since he called a family meeting. I turned the soup down to simmering before I dried my hands and walked out. Within minutes, we were all seated at the table, father in his brown gi, Akane in her yellow, and Nabiki in a... kimono? It had been the longest time since she'd worn one. Might father's news be so serious? "Ah, as you all might know, when I was training under..." He looked around. "the master," he whispered this, "I had a training partner and good friend by the name of Genma Saotome. Back when Akane was born, we had... gone drinking to celebrate the births of his son Ranma and our Akane, and well... We made an agreement of sorts." "Of -what- sorts, might I ask?" Nabiki asked dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Ah... we agreed to join the schools..." "You mean an arranged marriage?" "Well, yes, that's one way to put it..." "No, dad, there is no way at all that I would marry some -boy- I never even met before! You can't be serious!" That's just like Akane. She's so stubborn, so dedicated to the Art. "Now, Akane, please, you must understand this is a matter of honor! Besides, his son won't be that bad. Just at least wait until you meet him. You'll probably even end up liking him." "Hmmph." Akane sat back down in a huff, arms crossed. To be honest, I think even she's excited about Ranma, despite her self-professed hatred of boys. He could end up after all being a husband to one of us. I was about to say something when I heard a rustling at the side door. Father rushed out, and I followed close behind with Nabiki, Akane refusing to budge from the table. I stopped in utter shock. There, standing in the house, was a... girl and her pet panda? "Father, are -these- your guests?" Nabiki asked, pointing at the two without turning their way. "Ah, uh, nope, not at all." Father furiously shook his head. That is, until the petite girl spoke up. "I'm Ranma Saotome. Sorry about this..." He... She looked genuinely uncomfortable being here, and immediately I tried to ease her feelings, but Nabiki beat me in greeting. "Daddy, Ranma is a -girl- not a boy! I mean, do boys have -these-?" She poked Ramna, and she looked to be more uncomfortable each time. Of course, father fainted. "Nabiki! Stop it! Can't you see she's not comfortable?" I know it's probably unusual of me, and Nabiki's face when I scolded her told me as much, but I couldn't just let who seems to be "Ranma" stand there like that. "Sorry." Nabiki relented, turning back towards the living room. "Oh, excuse me! I'm sorry, would you like to come in?" Almost immediately, the housewife guise came back into play, it being the thing I do best. "Ah..." She tooks one look at father, and smiled sheepishly. "Let me help you bring him in." She easily lifted father up gesturing for me to lead the way in. Kokoroaru...  
  
We were all seated around the table, father out cold behind me. There was an uneasy silence, with no one really knowing what to say I suppose. Ranma uneasily cleared her throat. "Ah, could I get some hot water please?" "Why certainly!" I don't know whether it was fate, or something else, but as luck would have it, I was just in time to stop the soup from boiling over. Averting that disaster, I went back to the table with a kettle of hot water. What happened next... Well, it shocked us all to say the least. Akane's eyes bugged out, Nabiki's mouth hung open, and me... well, I honestly just sat there. What more could any of us had done? In front of our very eyes, Ranma, for all intents and purposes a girl, just turned into a guy by upending a kettle of hot water over her ... him ... self. I guess after seeing all of our expressions, he figured he had to explain what happened, and he did, telling us of the cursed springs of Jhusenkyo. Even after he finished, I don't think any of us believed him. It was mean, I know, but what he had described defied all logic. Father had woken up about the beginning of his tale, and chose this time to speak up. "Well now, Ranma, your problem's not so bad. These are my three daughters. Kasumi, she's 19, Nabiki, 17, and Akane, 16. Pick one and she'll be your fiancée." "WHAT!?" He had shouted. I think, if it weren't for his curse, I might've given it a chance. After all, I was to take care of the family wasn't I? What better way to do it than carry on the school, give father the heir he always wanted, and let Akane and Nabiki finish their schooling? It was the shock I guess that got the best of me. "Oh he definitely wants Akane. She is closest to his age anyways. Besides, he's too young for me." "Oh yes, definitely Akane. Besides, you hate boys, right Akane? Ranma's half-girl! There's no better choice for you!" "Wh-" Before Akane had a chance to object, father decided it. "It's settled then. Akane is Ranma's fiancée. So, when can we set the wedding date son?" Before all hell broke loose, two things caught my attention though. One was the excitement that seemed so natural to him. Second, though, and more important, was the brief flash of hurt in his eyes after both Nabiki and I rejected him.  
  
Author's Notes: Phew! I finally finished the first chapter. I must admit this was hard to write, mainly because I needed to establish a bit of backdrop without retelling too much of the original story, but now that it's finally done, the rest of the story should flow out more easily now. If you're wondering about Kasumi's characterization in this story... Well, let's just say I have a hard time believing that she really is the oblivious housewife character she is portrayed to be in the series and in many fanfics. I rather like and am inclined to believe the idea that there's more to her than meets the eyes. Now, this will be a Ranma + Kasumi pairing, but hopefully a unique one.  
  
Kokoroaru - To be considerate  
  
Next chapter: What's the significance of the one little change in the history? Will Ranma be engaged to Kasumi from the start? Will this be one of those WAFFy fluff fics?  
  
Read on to find out! ~BEGIN 11/10/01 - 11/11/01 FIN~ 


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